Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. called for just over $3.5 million in cuts and no layoffs in his proposed city budget during a preliminary fiscal 2015 budget presentation at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

TAUNTON — Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. called for just over $3.5 million in cuts and no layoffs in his proposed city budget during a preliminary fiscal 2015 budget presentation at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

“We have to look at each department carefully and give people what they need, not necessarily always what they want,” Hoye said after the presentation. “We want to grow every department because we want to offer more to our residents, but we also have to live within our means.”

The “bare bones budget,” as Hoye called it, was based on $178,099,232 in city department spending requests, with $3.5 million in budget cuts by the mayor. Including state programs and enterprise accounts, such as the city’s nursing home, the total Taunton preliminary fiscal 2015 budget is $208,479,402, $6,708,738 more than the $201,770,664 fiscal 2014 budget.

In his budget presentation, Hoye stressed “sustainable” solutions to the city’s problems, pledging to “not leave issues of today to the next generation to solve.”

The City Council plans to hold its budget hearings next week, likely on Monday and Tuesday, but did not make a final decision on when to hold the public hearings. During the hearings, the City Council will be able to question city department heads, analyze the mayor’s budget and propose cuts.

City Councilor Gerald Croteau requested a breakdown of total department spending in time for the hearing to show where exactly the cuts are coming from. Hoye said he would make that available.

Hoye provided a general overview on Tuesday night, which showed that the general government category in the budget would be cut by $437,445, from $5,956,722 in fiscal 2014 to a proposed $5,519,228 in fiscal 2015.

Under the proposed budget, spending would increase for public safety by $1.3 million, education spending would increase by $2.25 million, public works spending would increase by $724,809, health and human services would increase by $50,114 and the cultural and recreational category would increase by $31,991. Debt and interest, on the other hand, would decrease by $160,349.

According to another spending breakdown provided by Hoye, general government accounts for just 3 percent of the city’s spending, public safety accounts for 16 percent, education accounts for 43 percent (including state funding), public works accounts for 5 percent, debt and interest accounts for 4 percent and employee benefits accounts for 27 percent.

At the same time, unrestricted state aid to the city has remained relatively flat in recent years. The unrestricted aid for fiscal 2015 is at $7,484,235, while in fiscal 2010, unrestricted aid to the city totaled $7,410,543. In fiscal 2007, unrestricted aid to the city was at $10,322,474.

City Councilor David Pottier said that considering the unrestricted aid situation, Hoye’s budget came out well.

“We’re at $3 million below where we were seven years ago,” Pottier said. “Considering that, we’re doing pretty well. Without an override or debt exclusion — and I’m certainly not for either — I think we are doing the best we can considering this local aid picture.”

Page 2 of 2 - Hoye also outlined several goals for his administration and the city during his presentation.

He said the city hopes to “bring all sidewalks” into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance during the next 10 years.

In general, Hoye said, all street and sidewalk improvements will continue in the city, with paving planned for Harrison, Morton and Myricks streets, among others, and sidewalk repairs within a half-mile radius of the Taunton Green, on High Street, Harrison Street and several other streets.

Hoye said additional Department of Public Works improvement projects will include drainage projects, such as repairing the Howard Street drain to facilitate the paving of a downtown parking lot, which “will improve our downtown parking situation.” Hoye said the city would continue to work with MassDOT on the replacement of the Washington Street Bridge and all utilities around it.

Hoye said his administration remains committed to hiring additional personnel in both the Taunton Fire and Police departments, with two patrolmen hired in 2014, and will continue work with federal officials on a potential SAFER grant and COPS grant funding.

Hoye said the city will continue to fund $35,000 in façade improvements in the city, extending the Downtown Façade Improvement Program into the Whittenton and Weir neighborhoods. He said the city will also complete Phase 2 of the Downtown Improvement Project through a $1,280,750 MassWorks grant.

Taunton Public Library funding will stay level to keep state accreditation, Hoye said.

Hoye said his administration also looks forward to finalizing plans for repairing the old City Hall on Summer Street.

“We need to be downtown,” said Hoye, speaking to the council at the temporary City Hall at the Maxham School. “I don’t want to keep talking about it. I want to make it happen.”